So how would the troops spend the day .What would they eat and how would they celebrate if at all . Maybe they played the opposition at football just like in the films . Merry christmas to one and all .
craigevelyn Welcome aboard ! Xmas 1943 ? http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/italy/9596-christmas-hell.html#post118303
My fathers unit, the 4th Reconnaissance Regiment were pulled off the line in Italy and sent to a transit camp at Taranto ready to embark to Greece. The war diary states that they arrived in the early hours of Christmas day, so it was not likely he enjoyed a good Christmas in 1944. The bonus was no-one was shooting at them or shelling them Regards Tom
I have some pictures of British Soldiers having Christmas Dinner near the front line in Italy. I'll try and find them later.
Well here is what the men of the 2nd Bn Guards were doing on xmas day 1944 and 1942. Having experienced the cold of italy first hand this xmas (at the foot of the gothic line) I can honestly say I have a newfound respect for the men of the 2nd world war for surviving the elements let alone the enemy. In 1944 they were freezing atop the Penzola ridge above the road to Imola. 23rd Dec: Lt STRATTON with a small patrol searched the house at CASETTA DI SOTTO finding it definitely unoccupied. 0200: 2 Germans again crept up to 18 Platoon and exchanged Grenades with the Sentries. Gdsn _____ was slightly wounded. Three inches of snow fell during the night, 24th Dec: A quiet day. Any movement on either side was obvious against the white background. So far no white clothing has arrived. 1800: Bells of TOSSIGNANO rang out a Christmas peal and a silent agreement for a peaceful Christmas was only broken during the night by one Spandau which fired two short bursts over the leading Company: it was duly punished by ‘HENRY’ one 25 pdr gun previously registered on it. 25th Dec: The medical officer held a sweep as to who would visit us on Christmas day. Amongst some seven runners who appeared was the Brigadier, the Bde Major, and the Bde I.O., Major Lincoln and Major Fields. Gdsn Walker was killed on a S mine whilst guiding his platoons Mules to Pt 392. Snow clothing for the forward companies arrived. In Dec 1942 No 2 coldstream were fighting the battle of Longstop hill. Here's an extract from their medical officers journal: We arrived [back] in the concentration area just in time to deal with the casualties from a carrier which had blown up, causing great carnage. What a day! Then we sorted ourselves out, and had just set up an RAP in a cowshed when we were ordered to move again, this time to a rest area, a farm on the terbouraouk road from medjez. So we did, and arrived in bright moonlight after getting out ambulance stick in the mud and having to get another. What an appalling christmas day! On xmas day the coldstream had suffered 178 killed (mostly unacountted for) Having said this, on xmas day in 1943 the guards had a decidedly better experience. They were guarding winston churchill, and attended a christmas service with him in the "white house" at Tunisa (albiet he was not well at the time). The rest of the BN (those not on guard duty) had a day off, watching movies at an american areodrome and having a party. However it was not until Jan that the Bn would celebrate properly; B echelon had stored up supplies for such an occurance and everyone had a really nice meal. I actually have seen the menu in the archives at Kings College bizarreley enough; it put my old university college meals to shame, and we weren't on rashions at the time.
Scherl Bilderdienst: Ostpreussischer Volkssturm feiert Weihnachten Wachfreie Volkssturmmänner bei der Weihnachtsfeier in ihrem Kellerbunker. Die brennenden Kerzen am frisch nach Harz duftenden Tannenbaum geben dem kahlen Raum weihnachtliches Gepräge. Der Zugführer verteilt die soeben eingetroffene Weihnachtspost, die Grüsse von Angehörigen bringt. SS-PK.Kriegsberichter Müller 15.12.1944 [Herausgabedatum]
Found by my son not WW2 but Christmas in the trenches themed Christmas Card collection available as a teaching aid for children. NEN Gallery : Christmas Cards Verrieres
From an earlier war... 88th Brigade H.Q War Diary December 1915 Helles 25th. Today being Christmas day all fatigues were cutdown from 6 hours to 3 hours work. Strength Officers 62 Other Ranks 1852 Casualties 1 Officer sick, other ranks 1 wounded 16 sick. Helles 26th. Usual fatigues. Strength Officers 59, other ranks 1820. Casualties Officers 1 sick O.R. 5 wounded 5 sick. 2nd Hampshire Regiment War Diary December 1915 Cape Helles 25th. Xmas day. Furnished fatigue party of 4 Officers + 150 other Ranks between 9 a.m. and 12 noon for draining Eastern mule track. to-days rations contained only a small portion of fresh meat and bread. Each man received 1/2lb of Xmas pudding. Up to date no Xmas parcels had been received. For the last 10 days no mail of any sort has arrived, main source of delay being the evacuation of Suvla and uncertain movement of troops since. Shelling from both sides took place as usual.
Holland, Dec, 1944, 2 & 3 IG: On the 17th all that the battalions knew was that "the Germans, attacking with the major part of their reserve in the West, have taken the Americans by surprise and made a deep penetration westwards." The news remained vague, but it was clear that the situation might become more serious unless the German penetration could be prevented from becoming a break-through. The next two days brought a record batch of orders and their inevitable cancellations. Sometimes the battalions received the cancellations first. Christmas Day was postponed, by order, to the 30th December, then reverted to the normal 25th, and finally postponed indefinitely - "very difficult for Santa Claus's march-tables." The Germans sent over batches of Christmas cards, some bloodthirsty, some vulgar, all ungrammatical. The cards were delivered by shells that tore each card to ribbons on landing, but they were carefully pieced together as they provided a little amusement; and anything funny was rare in Holland. Interest centred on the Ardennes offensive ... ... The Quartermasters, Lieutenants Keating and Hastings, and the cooks were busy preparing for Christmas gaiety. Christmas Day was bright. At eleven o'clock there was a special High Mass, with a choir of school children dressed in hideous white frocks. Then the two battalions sat down together to dinners. The companies and squadrons had turned schoolrooms into temporary messes. The pioneers covered the desks with boards and found a bottomless store of lanterns and garlands. "Christmas dinners always seem to get larger every year, and this year's wallop of tinned turkey, roast pork, roast beef, boiled potatoes, fried potatoes, peas, cabbage, brussels sprouts and plum puddings had to be seen to be believed. The tables groaned under the beer, cigars, cigarettes and chocolate ration." Boxing Day morning was quiet, and so welcome to tender heads. But it was time for another of the sudden urgent inconvenient moves beloved by Higher Formations. In the middle of dinner - of all times - the 3rd Battalion were ordered to take over the river line from Huy to Vise.
Christmas lunch served by the 'ruperts' Funnily enough one of them I went on to serve in the Police with and one of them currently works in the same ambulance service as me (I had never met them before this tour). Secret Santa on Christmas morning after finishing 7pm to 7am Guard Commander shift at Slim Lines. Christmas night and the 'Stars in their Eyes' final We don't just kill people Two RAF on guitars and vocals, R. Sigs on the drums and BFBS chap on base. Not quite 'war on Christmas day' but a bit of a idea on what might be happening this Friday overseas. Point to note: still in DPM even when we are off duty. Cheers
